Fiat Chrysler eyes sharp growth in S. Korea this year

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) said Monday it is aiming to achieve double-digit sales growth in South Korea this year on its strengthened Jeep sport utility vehicle lineup.

For the whole of 2019, FCA sold 10,251 Jeep SUV models in South Korea, jumping 35 percent from 7,590 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

It is the first time the Italian and American multinational carmaker has sold more than 10,000 vehicles in one year since it advanced to the Korean market in 1992.

To boost sales in Korea, the company plans to add the Gladiator to its lineup in the second half of 2020. The current lineup is composed of the flagship Grand Cherokee, the Wrangler, the Cherokee, the Compass and the Renegade.

FCA Korea stopped selling non-SUV passenger vehicles in January 2018 as part of its reorganization of portfolios.

In a press event in Seoul in April, FCA Korea Chief Executive Pablo Rosso said the company was "on track to achieve this year's sales target of over 10,000 SUVs" in the South Korean market as it was "definitely" taking advantage of rising demand for SUV models.

FCA is controlled by Exor N.V., an Italian holding company based in the Netherlands.

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